Millions of people have lost their identities and memories due to Alzheimer’s, which has been an unstoppable force for decades. Sue and a few other patients, however, may be living examples of how the disease’s course can be slowed down.
Sue has been taking gantenerumab, an experimental medication, for more than ten years after being diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation that is almost certain to induce early-onset Alzheimer’s. She is still symptom-free at age 61, in contrast to her siblings, who began exhibiting symptoms in their 50s.
“I’m all right. She claims, “I’m completely fine,” thinking the medication has delayed the beginning of the illness by four years.
Science Underpinning Research
Some of the 73 subjects studied in the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN) trial were followed for more than eight years. Results indicated that almost half the risk for Alzheimer’s disease was reduced for those starting treatment before symptomatic onset.
The study’s primary investigator, Dr. Eric McDade, thinks early intervention is key. He states, “We believe that there is a delay in onset, possibly spanning several years.”
Nevertheless, despite all this hopeful data, the study remains crippled. Uncertain funding might render the program void for patients who struggle to get lifesaving drugs and prevent significant breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research.
A Race Against Time
The battle is personal for individuals like Marty Reiswig, whose family has a fatal gene. “I’m facing this illness head-on,” he declares. “It would be like abandoning us to drown when we were just about to reach the shore if they cut off funding now.”
Scientists caution that without sustained support, a promising discovery might be lost, robbing Alzheimer’s of its opportunity to permanently alter its course.
